KT Does
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Delray Beach, FL
Here are my top reasons why you should choose Delray Beach for your next Florida Vacation:
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No need for a car. It’s rare to find a place in Florida where you can get away with not having a car. Luckily, downtown Delray has more than enough shops and restaurants to keep you busy during your stay and within walking distance. If you want to check out Miami you can also take the Tri-Rail train directly from Delray Beach train station to Miami (this also includes airports). There is a free Trolley/bus that runs down Atlantic (the main street) all the way from the beach to the train station.
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Downtowner App. Worried about it being too hot to walk? Here is the best part of Delray Beach; a free public taxi app called Downtowner. Its like Lyft and Uber except FREE. They pick you up in golf cart type vehicles (so no air conditioning but still covered and quick) and take you to any destination downtown. I have used it often to go to and from restaurants from my hotel. Of course you should consider tipping.
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Proximity to airports. You have 3 airport options for getting to and from Delray Beach. Fort Lauderdale is about 45 minutes. Palm Beach International is about 30 minutes and Miami International is about 1 hour by car. The Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports also have Tri-Rail train connections which can take you to Delray beach if you wish to forego the car.
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Only 1 hour north of Miami if you really want to check out the city. It can be fun to check out some famous spots in Miami like Wynwood and South Beach but there is definitely no reason to fork over the amount of cash they charge for hotels in Miami to experience those places. For this I would definitely recommend renting a car for the day since you want this to be a quick trip and public transit will take you a bit longer for this.
The beaches are beautiful and even a possible surf spot at times. I have never had a bad time in Delray and find myself dreaming about living there every time I go. I’m not asking you to consider it, I’m telling you that you will be sorry if you don’t.
Must Stay:
Cranes Beach House. This is a boutique hotel with tons of benefits. You can get a regular 1 room hotel room or a villa (both include a kitchen). The Villas all have a small private outdoor space. There are 2 pools which is shocking when you see how small the property is. They probably could have gotten away with one but its a huge benefit because both are not usually busy. The grounds are beautifully manicured and make you feel like you are on a tropical island. You would never guess that a street is so close. This is the best beach hotel I have ever stayed. It’s also not expensive. We payed $175 a night for a villa which includes a king size bed in a separate bedroom and a pullout sofa bed in the living room as well as a kitchen. The hotel also offers a turndown service every night and will pull out the sofa bed and prepare it. Don’t skip the turndown service. They give you a really good chocolate and bottle of water.
Must Eat:
El Camino. A superb Mexican joint but good luck getting in. It took my 3rd vacation in Delray to finally eat there. Make reservations or else go for an early lunch Mon-Thurs.
Rocco’s Tacos. This is a bit more expensive than El Camino but I personally like their tacos better. If you are a taco fan then be sure to check out Rocco’s. I also just think its got a good vibe in this place.
Max’s Harvest. This is a great farm to table place. It’s got some fancy twists on local foods and the menu changes seasonally to support the local food available.
Dada. This is definitely one of the coolest and strangest restaurants. Its got a small menu which changes often. Its a historic house from the 20’s turned restaurant. Super cute.
32 East. This is one of the fancier restaurants in Delray. There isn't a dress code but if you feel like dressing up for a dinner then this is the place to do it. Their menu changes daily according to what is available. 4 of us ate there and there wasn’t 1 thing to complain about. We got everything from fish to vegetarian soup. The food is truly superb. Nothing bad on the menu.
There are honestly TONS of restaurant options and most are pretty good. You can find greek, seafood, Italian, Mexican, bbq, latino, gastropubs, oysters….. I just personally prefer the ones above as a first choice.